Garlic is a cure-all. It’s got so much scientifically backed health benefits it’s astounding. I mean, there are a lot of superfoods out there, but I feel like garlic always gets a little swept under the rug with everyone focusing on kale, turmeric, and coconut oil.

But the truth is garlic has as many (and sometimes more) health benefits than other superfoods. The trouble is, even people who know how good garlic is for you don’t know how to take it (e.g., the difference between a garlic suppository or garlic capsule) or how much of it they need to take every day to reap all of its health benefits – that’s my focus.

How Garlic Benefits Your Body

We have to talk about why you need to be taking garlic (or supplements). Some people don’t like garlic, and I guess that’s okay, but I’m not quite sure why. There are options for those of you who don’t like the taste garlic which are included later in the article.

2. Excellent Immune Booster

One large 12-week study found that a daily garlic supplement reduced the number of colds by 63% compared with placebo and shortened the duration of a cold by about 70%! (Here’s the study).

3. Reduces Blood Pressure

Studies have found garlic to have a significant impact on reducing blood pressure. One study found that aged garlic extract at doses of 600-1,500 mg was just as effective as the drug Atenolol at reducing blood pressure over a 24 week period (that’s about 4 garlic cloves a day though). Check out more here and here.

6. Boosts Athletic Performance

Want to perform better in your next marathon? Turns out garlic can actually boost your athletic performance. Rodent subjects with heart disease that took garlic oil for 6 weeks had a reduction in peak heart rate of 12% and improved their exercise capacity. Check the study here.

7. Helps You Detox

The sulfur compound allicin encourages damaging metals such as lead and mercury to join to it, when they bond together, your body has an easier time excreting them so they stay in your body for a shorter amount of time.

8. Improves Bone Health

Garlic can increase estrogen levels in female rodents, a lack of estrogen in post-menopausal women can lead to bone fragility later in life. It’s also shown to reduce the effects of osteoarthritis.

The Right Garlic Dosage

Advertisement

Now, the recommended averages for adult consumption is about 1.5 grams. Therapeutic usage is between 3 and 4 grams. That’s a lot of garlic. At that point, it starts to seep into your pores and makes you smell vaguely like garlic, which is good for keeping both vampires and humans away. You can, however, cut that risk by taking it in alternative forms.

How to Take a Garlic Suppository, Allicin Capsule, or Clove (for Cooking)

Capsule Formula

Allimax is a good source if you want to get allicin (the main healing chemical of garlic) without actually having to taste the stuff. You can buy it from most health food places in the USA.

Food

You can’t go wrong here. Food is a much more natural and less concentrated way to get allicin in your diet rather than putting high dosages into your body (some people find that concerning, and I agree that is a fair concern.)

It’s easier than you think to incorporate 3 to 4 cloves a day into your meals. Use it on just about anything. You can find a ton of great recipes from The Hearty Soul!

Here are a few great recipes from The Hearty Soul to help you include garlic in your diet:

Garlic Suppository

Finally, you can use half a clove as a garlic suppository to clear up pinworms, yeast infections, UTIs, and (there’s minimal research on this, but it’s a lauded home remedy) to help ease a flare-up of genital warts. Insert a fresh, half clove into the vagina or rectum overnight to help fight or resolve symptoms.

Advertisement

Anything else you want to read about? Let us know in the comments!

Check out our new book, The Hearty Soul: How To Use Superfoods as Medicine! You’ll discover exactly how to use the most powerful and therapeutic superfoods on the planet, to treat nearly every ailment! Click here to get your copy and start living a healthier life!

We believe in using natural ingredients to be as healthy as possible. We believe dieting will never work as well as a lifestyle of healthy habits will. We believe you can treat pain and disease without relying on addictive drugs. We believe being happy is a big part of a healthy life.

This site is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice, legal advice, or professional services. If you feel that you have a medical problem, you should seek the advice of your physician or health care practitioner. For additional information please see our full disclaimer and privacy information and terms of service.